Gondola One Opens for Scenic Rides

Vail’s Gondola One Opens for Scenic Rides this Weekend, June 7-9

Vail Gondola One

Vail Gondola One (Photo credit: proforged)

Vail Mountain, the largest ski resort in the United States, will open Gondola One in Vail Village for scenic rides this weekend, June 7-9, during the GoPro Mountain Games. Guests are reminded that due to the events taking place, bike hauls will not be permitted for the weekend.

In addition, Sarge’s outdoor barbeque at Mid-Vail will be open for the first two weekends of Gondola One’s summer operation schedule.

Starting Thursday, June 20 the majority of summer operations, including signature summer activities at Adventure Ridge and on-mountain dining, will be based out of Eagle’s Nest atop the Eagle Bahn Gondola.

Scenic rides will be offered on both gondolas for the summer. Bike hauls will also be offered on both gondolas as soon as conditions permit and trails are opened. Both Gondola One and the Eagle Bahn Gondola will operate according to the following summer schedules:

Gondola One*

  • Weekends-Only: June 7-9 and 14-16
    • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday through Sunday
  • Daily: Thursday, June 20 – Monday, Sept. 2
    • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

*Bikes will be allowed up the gondola until 4 p.m. (except during the weekend of June 7-9).

Eagle Bahn Gondola and Adventure Ridge**

  • Daily: Thursday, June 20 – Monday, Sept. 2
    • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday
    • 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday
  • Weekends-Only: Sept. 6-8, 13-15, 20-22 and 27-29.
    • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday through Sunday

**Bikes will be allowed up the gondola until 6 p.m.

For more information about Vail Mountain visit www.vail.com, or stop by the Mountain Information Center, open daily from 9 a.m.–4 p.m., or call (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8245).

About Vail Mountain
Coveted as the largest ski resort in the United States with more than 5,200 acres of skiable terrain, seven legendary Back Bowls spanning seven miles, and the most groomed terrain on the planet, Vail has been an extraordinary winter vacation destination for passionate skiers and snowboarders for more than 50 years. It is home to world-class athletes during the U.S. Ski Team early-season training sessions in Golden Peak, the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships and the future 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships. Under blue skies more than 300 days each year, friends and families reconnect and celebrate here from year to year and generation to generation. The vacation experience is exceptional, from the Vail Ski & Snowboard School to events, activities and festivals, shops and spas, abundant culinary experiences and luxurious accommodations. Coupled with the vision inherent in the spirit of Vail’s founders, and a modern day commitment to excellence in all aspects of guest service and operations, Vail is a mountain resort like nothing on earth. www.vail.com.

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Vail Valley Partnership Announces New Board Members

Vail Valley Partnership Announces New Board Members
Mark Herron and Gary Woodworth Join Partnership’s Board of Governors

North side of Vail Mountain, and Vail Valley.

North side of Vail Mountain, and Vail Valley. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Vail Valley Partnership (VVP) is pleased to announce that Mark Herron, General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Vail and Gary Woodworth, CEO of Gallegos Corporation have joined the Partnership’s 12-person Board of Governors. Vail Valley Partnership’s Board of Governors is the principal governing and policymaking body of the organization. The Board’s membership is as diverse as the Vail Valley business community, with business leaders serving from a variety of business sectors and with representation throughout Eagle County.

The Board of Governors provides strategic guidance in the fulfillment of Vail Valley Partnership’s mission to take the leadership role to create and manage collaborative programs that encourage economic development and result in increased destination tourism in Eagle County. The addition of both Herron and Woodworth help to further diversify the group and provide perspective from two significant Vail Valley professional industries.

“Mark and Gary represent two important business sectors to the Partnership board: hospitality and construction. Both bring a variety of community involvement to the Partnership and we look forward to their involvement and strategic engagement in the organization to help us continue to achieve our mission,” said Chris Romer, president & CEO of Vail Valley Partnership.

The other 10 individuals who serve on the Board of Governors include: Glenn Davis – Regional President of Alpine Bank, Tim Baker – Executive Director of Beaver Creek Resort Company,
Doug Lovell – Chief Operating Officer of Vail Resorts, Inc., James Wear – President of Sherman & Howard, Johannes Faessler – General Manager / Owner of Sonnenalp Resort of Vail, Mike Brumbaugh – Owner of Venture Sports, Doris Kirchner – President & CEO of Vail Valley Medical Center, Laurie Mullen – Owner of West Vail Liquor Mart, John Shipp – Owner of Dusty Boot Saloon & Luigi’s Pastahouse and Beth Slifer – Owner of Slifer Designs.

To learn more about Vail Valley Partnership and its Board of Governors, please visit http://www.vailvalleypartnership.com/index.asp.

About Vail Valley Partnership:

Vail Valley Partnership is a 501(c) (6) non-profit organization that serves as the chamber and destination marketing organization for Eagle County, Colorado and the Vail Valley. Vail Valley Partnership (VVP) is a regional leader in sustaining and enhancing the Vail Valley as a tourism destination. Through group and leisure sales efforts, the VVP takes on a leadership role to bring groups, meetings, events and visitors to the Vail Valley for both the economic benefit of the member businesses we serve and the overall economic vitality of the community. In 2012, the Partnership’s destination sales and marketing efforts resulted in $69,000,000 of direct spending in the Eagle River Valley. For more information on the Vail Valley Partnership, please visit http://www.vailvalleypartnership.com/.

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Jeff Foxworthy pokes fun at Colorado…..

Jeff Foxworthy, comedian

Jeff Foxworthy, comedian (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jeff Foxworthy pokes fun at Colorado…..

1. You switch from ‘Heat’ to ‘A/C’ in one day.

2. You know what the ‘Peoples Republic of Boulder’ means.

3. Your sense of direction is: towards the mountains and away from the mountains.

4. You’re a meat-eating vegetarian.

5. The bike on your car is worth more than your car and you have your own special bike lane.

6. You’re able to drive 65 miles per hour through 13 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without even flinching.

7. You take your out-of-town guests to Casa Bonita even though you would never go there otherwise.

8. You think your major food groups are granola bars, tofu and Fat Tire Beer.

9. You design your kid’s Halloween costumes to fit over a snowsuit.

10. You think that sexy lingerie is wool socks and flannel PJs.

11. You know all 4 seasons ‘almost winter, winter, still winter and spring blizzards

12. You’ve been tear gassed in a riot to celebrate a CU/CSU victory.

13. You can never figure out why your out-of-town guests faint from altitude sickness on a picnic to the mountains.

14 You can drive over a 12,000-foot pass in 4 feet of snow, but can’t get to work if there are 4 inches of snow.

15. You know the ‘correct’ pronunciation of Buena Vista.

16. When you visit friends at sea level, you can drink a case of beer and not get a buzz.

17. Your car insurance costs more than your car.

18 You have surge protectors on every outlet.

19. April showers bring May blizzards.

20. ‘Timberline’ is someplace you have actually been.

21. You know what a ‘Chinook’ is

22. You know what a ‘Rocky Mountain Oyster’ is.

23 You know what a ‘fourteener’ is.

24. But you don’t know what a ‘turn signal’ is.

25. A bear on your front porch doesn’t bother you nearly as much as a Democrat in Congress does.

26. Your golf bag has a 9-iron, a 3-wood and a lightning rod.

27. People from out of state breathe 5 times as often as you do.

28. Having a Senator named Nighthorse doesn’t seem strange.

29. Thunder has set off your car alarm.

30. You have an $800 stereo in your $300 truck.

31. You think a red light means 3 more cars can go.

32. Where we’re going, we don’t need roads!!
33. You know where the real ‘South Park’ is.

34. You can recognize the license plates of all 50 states on sight.

35. Driving directions usually include ‘Go over_________ Pass.’

36. You’ve ‘checked for ticks.

37. You’ve dressed in shorts, sandals, and a parka with a hood.

38. You’ve gone snow skiing in July and………

39. You’ve played golf in January and…….

40. They were in the same year!

41. You’ve urinated on the Continental Divide just so it could run into both oceans.

42. You know what a down slope and an up slope weather pattern is.

43. And the most important: You get a certain feeling of satisfaction from knowing that California and Texas are both down stream.

44. You actually understand these jokes and send them to your Colorado friends.

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Update: Food Bank of the Rockies.

Update: Food Bank of the Rockies.

This is an update to my posting of earlier this week.

Sure Happy It’s Thursday

Sure Happy It’s Thursday

 

Vail’s Annual Mountain Cleanup Scheduled

Vail’s Annual Mountain Cleanup Scheduled for Tuesday, June 18

Ski Runs

Vail Mountain and Vail Resorts Echo invite community volunteers to join employees for the annual mountain cleanup, scheduled for Tuesday, June 18.

“Vail’s mountain cleanup is a great opportunity for employees and the community to give back and get our beautiful mountain ready for summer guests to enjoy,” said Adam Bybliw, environmental manager for Vail Mountain. “We look forward to seeing a great turnout of volunteers to lend a helping hand this year. With the cleanup based out of Vail Village via Gondola One we’re also looking forward to accessing different areas of the mountain than in years past.”

Volunteers are highly encouraged to pre-register with the Mountain Information Center and complete release waivers prior to cleanup day. On cleanup day, all volunteers should meet at the base of the Gondola One in Vail Village by 9 a.m. with their own work gloves, water, sun block, hat, snacks, sturdy hiking shoes and clothing for inclement weather. A limited supply of gloves for cleanup will be made available. Teams will be transported up the mountain at 9 a.m., provided with trash bags and directed to specific cleanup sites. In the case of severe weather, a decision will be made the morning of the clean up whether or not to continue or postpone the cleanup.

Beginning at 12 p.m., the Vail Mountain dining staff will host a complimentary barbecue at Sarge’s Grill at Mid-Vail for all volunteers, at which time a single-day complimentary lift ticket voucher for the 2013-2014 winter season will be distributed to volunteers. After lunch, teams will meet again to continue cleaning and hike down to the base area on assigned trails. Those who choose not to walk down the mountain may download the gondola.

To pre-register, provide your name and the number of people in your party to the Mountain Information Center in Lionshead, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and daily beginning Thursday, June 20. Or, call (970) 754-VAIL (8245). All volunteers will need to complete and sign a liability release form and bring it with them on the day of mountain cleanup in order to participate. Liability releases are available in the Mountain Information Center or online at www.vail.com/mountaincleanup.

Vail Resorts Echo, the Company’s social responsibility and environmental stewardship program encompasses three core efforts – charitable giving, volunteerism and environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.vailresortsecho.com. For more information about Vail visit www.vail.com.

All volunteers will receive a single-day lift ticket voucher for 2013-2014 winter ski season

  • Guests are encouraged to bring their own gloves, water, sun block, hat, snacks and sturdy hiking shoes.

 

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Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour

Pepper Bacon wrapped Brats

Pepper Bacon wrapped Brats (Photo credit: paulswansen)

Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour Provides a Sizzling Good Time at Keystone Resort

Is there anything quite like the scent of bacon wafting into the crisp summer mountain air? If that thought gets your mouth watering, be sure to put Keystone Resort’s Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour, June 22-23 on the calendar. Now in its third year, the two-day event will feature more than a ton of Iowa and Colorado bacon along with bacon-inspired cuisine from over 18 food vendors, live music, and samples of Beggin’ Strips® for those with bacon-loving four-legged friends. New this year, the festival has added Colorado’s Biggest Bacon Bloody Mary Bar, sponsored by Hair of the Dawg Bloody Mary Mix, and a bacon education series for those looking to earn a diploma for their knowledge of their favorite pork-tastic treat.

“The Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour believes bacon education is at the core of a healthy bacon economy,” said event co-founder, Brooks Reynolds.

“So, we’ve introduced a lecture series hosted by Certified Bacon InstructorsTM including the likes of Eden Farms’ Nick Jones and Denver Bacon Company’s Justin Brunson. With famous bacon purveyors at the head of the class, participants are sure to receive a first class bacon education.”

For those guests not interested in earning an All About Bacon DiplomaTM, cutting class will mean joining fellow bacon-lovers in Keystone’s picturesque River Run Village, sampling unique and delectable treats from bacon purveyors and area Chefs and restaurants, listening to live music from bands like Hell’s Belles and the Steeldrivers and enjoying icy cold beverages in the Colorado sunshine.

One-day bacon tasting tickets start at only $30, with weekend tasting packages beginning at $50, including an event koozie and souvenir sunglasses. Keystone Resort lodging packages including tasting tickets start at just $97 per person, per night or $173 for the weekend (two nights lodging and a two-day tasting ticket).

To offset a delicious afternoon in the Village, Keystone offers a variety of calorie-burning mountain activities including downhill and cross-country biking and scenic hiking for all levels. Live music throughout the weekend as well as a lively festival atmosphere is free to all guests. And don’t forget to bring the youngest members of the family, because on top of having the chance to nibble away on bacon, kid’s craft activities will be offered throughout the weekend.

Weekend Schedule of Entertainment:

Saturday, June 22
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Bacon Festival, River Run Events Plaza—tickets required for sampling
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Kids’ Crafts, Ina’s Bridge (between Village and Gondola)—free and paid activities
1:30 p.m.- 3:45 p.m. Concert: Hamilton Loomis, River Run Main Stage (Free)
2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Bacon U Lecture Series, Warren Station Center for the Arts (Free)
4:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Concert: Hell’s Belles, River Run Main Stage (Free)
Sunday, June 23
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Bacon Festival, River Run Events Plaza—tickets required for sampling
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Kids’ Crafts, Ina’s Bridge (between Village and Gondola)—free and paid activities
1:30 p.m.- 3:45 p.m. Concert: Hamilton Loomis, River Run Main Stage (Free)
2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Bacon U Lecture Series, Warren Station Center for the Arts (Free)
4:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Concert: The SteelDrivers, River Run Main Stage (Free)

For more information about Keystone Resort, visit keystoneresort.com or call (877) 204-7889. Follow the resort at @keystonemtn on Twitter or at www.Facebook.com/Keystone.

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Vail Valley Partnership Reveals Enhanced Online Business Resources

North side of Vail Mountain, and Vail Valley.

North side of Vail Mountain, and Vail Valley. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Regional Chamber’s Economic Development Section Provides Current and Prospective Area Businesses with Professional Tools, Information & Statistics

 

Together, Vail Valley Partnership
(VVP) and the Economic Council of Eagle County have rolled out an enhanced
online Economic Development
section
, dedicated to providing local business information,
statistics, relocation information and small business resources. As
the regional chamber and economic development organization, the Partnership
is the official resource and advocate for businesses in the Vail Valley
and provides both current and prospective businesses with the tools
and resources to succeed.

A joint project between VVP and the Economic Council
of Eagle County, the Economic Development section provides relevant
economic data and analysis, offering economically focused programming
and promoting relationship building between governments and the private
sector. It is the goal of VVP and the Economic Council to promote long-term
economic health for Eagle County by focusing on countywide retention
of workforce and recruitment of sustainable new business.

The new section includes research and statistics
in the area of demographics, housing reports, labor force, tourism research
and real estate, as well as professional & business development
information, access to capital, local sales tax and state information
for small businesses. The enhanced section also includes a detailed
list of Vail Valley job openings, both part-time and full-time. With
an incredible array of diverse communities and unique business offerings,
the Partnership strives to connect helpful and local information to
businesses that are interested in learning more about the Vail Valley.

“Business success is key to our continued economic
health and future economic growth. The Partnership will continue to
build a comprehensive online portal for our current business, as well
as prospective businesses to help navigate the various resources available
at a local, regional and state level,” said Chris Romer, CEO and President
of Vail Valley Partnership.

To learn more about the Economic Development section,
please visit
http://www.vailvalleypartnership.com/members.asp?id=9. For questions on local research and statistics,
please contact Chris Romer, CEO and President at
cromer@visitvailvalley.com or 970-477-4016.

About Vail Valley Partnership:

Vail Valley Partnership is a 501(c) (6) non-profit
organization that serves as the chamber and destination marketing organization
for Eagle County, Colorado and the Vail Valley. Vail Valley Partnership
(VVP) is a regional leader in sustaining and enhancing the Vail Valley
as a tourism destination. Through group and leisure sales efforts, the
VVP takes on a leadership role to bring groups, meetings, events and
visitors to the Vail Valley for both the economic benefit of the member
businesses we serve and the overall economic vitality of the community.
In 2012, the Partnership’s destination sales and marketing efforts resulted
in $69,000,000 of direct spending in the Eagle River Valley. For more
information on the Vail Valley Partnership, please visit
http://www.vailvalleypartnership.com/.

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Epic Service Award Winners.

English: Gore Creek Drive, Vail, CO

English: Gore Creek Drive, Vail, CO (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Vail Resorts announced today the winners of the 2013 Epic Service Awards, recognizing 11 employees across all resorts and lines of business within the company. Five of the 2013 recipients reside in Eagle County and include Bob Long from Vail Mountain, Richard Knapp from Beaver Creek, Paul Gorbold from Colorado Mountain Express, Jennifer Pope from RockResorts and Anna Townsend from Specialty Sports Venture.

The Epic Service Award is the highest level of recognition for guest service at Vail Resorts and it is earned and awarded to those employees who exceed expectations, have innovative guest service ideas, and embody the company’s service mantra, “Own it. Personalize it. Elevate it.” Each of the five Eagle County award winners has a personal story that demonstrates the ways in which he or she went above and beyond to provide an exceptional experience or service for a guest.

Bob Long, an employee with the Golden Peak Ski & Snowboard School at Vail, received the Epic Service Award at Vail Mountain. When a local school brought students to the resort during Learn to Ski Week, Bob was assigned to work one-on-one with a young boy who had been having a hard time at school and at home. While it had taken many months for the student to open up to staff at school, Bob and the young boy hit it off immediately, becoming fast friends and allowing the boy to feel comfortable enough to open up and confide in Bob. The boy ultimately became very attached to Bob by the time the program ended. So much so that Bob immediately inquired about volunteering at the boy’s school. He emailed the school principal, filled out a volunteer application and went through the necessary protocol, and shortly thereafter Bob was reconnected with the boy again. He volunteered at the school with the boy throughout the entire ski season and not only did he continue to develop a great relationship with the boy, but the rest of his family as well.

Richard Knapp, an employee with the Beaver Creek Adult Ski School in winter and a High Mountain Adventure Jeep Tour guide in summer, received the Epic Service Award at Beaver Creek. Last summer while he was out with guests on a tour, thunder began to echo through the resort and lightning crashed overhead as a fast-moving storm rolled into the valley. With a full load of guests in the jeep, Richard began to make his way down the mountain when he spotted a family hiking down, drenched from the storm. He called Patrol but recognized they were working in a distant area of the mountain and so after dropping off his tour group, Richard immediately turned around and went back up the mountain to find the family. They were grateful as he picked them up and drove them safely back down the mountain to shelter.

Paul Gorbold, health and safety manager for Colorado Mountain Express, also received the Epic Service Award. During the winter Paul was notified of an accident that had taken place with one of the CME vans while transporting some guests. No one was injured but it was later realized that there had been damage done to a guest’s ski bag. The guest was obviously upset by this and therefore reservations followed up with them and Paul was asked to stay in the loop so he could update the claim with the details of the resolution. Instead of just updating the paperwork though, Paul took ownership of the recovery by reaching out to Vail Resorts’ contacts at Specialty Sports Venture and then offering to visit the guest personally and assist with purchasing a replacement ski bag.

Jennifer Pope, a concierge at The Pines Lodge in Beaver Creek, received the Epic Service Award for Vail Resorts’ hospitality division, RockResorts. When an excited yet nervous guest approached Jennifer about helping him plan a special marriage proposal to his girlfriend, she happily obliged. They decided that the sleigh ride to Beano’s Cabin for dinner would be the perfect opportunity to pop the question. Jennifer called in some co-workers around the resort to help her build a snowman that the sleigh would stop at on the way to Beano’s, complete with a carrot nose and red scarf. She also arranged for rose petals and glittering candles to be set out on the sparkling snow, a Cadillac ride for the couple to their private snow cat, and a photographer and videographer to help capture the event. In the end the guest’s proposal was accepted and the newly engaged couple topped off the evening celebrating with family, champagne and a meal to remember at Beano’s Cabin.

Anna Townsend, assistant manager at the Beaver Creek Sports location at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch received the Epic Service Award for Vail Resorts’ retail division, Specialty Sports Venture. One day during the winter a guest arrived at Anna’s store to inquire about rentals and mentioned that the group was travelling with eight children, all of whom needed equipment. Knowing that parading that many children through the rental shop could be a potentially stressful situation, Anna offered to visit the group’s hotel room for an in-room fitting. The guest loved this idea and also asked if Anna could pick out a full outfit for each child. Anna put together head-to-toe outfits for all the kids, and also brought along full outfits for the parents too. The guests were thrilled by Anna’s attentive customer service.

Employees from across all lines of business at Vail Resorts are recognized each month for Epic Service. The final Epic Service Award winners are chosen from each resort and line of business across the company and are awarded with an all-expense paid, multi-day trip to one of the company’s resorts, lodging and activities, an exclusive dinner with Vail Resorts’ chairman and chief executive officer, Rob Katz, and members of the Vail Resorts executive committee, as well as other surprises. This year’s trip will take place July 15-18, 2013 at Breckenridge.

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Food Bank of the Rockies

According to their web site: Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR) is the largest private hunger-relief organization in the state of Colorado. Also according to their web site: We run an efficient organization,…

Today I find this a bit of a stretch for this organization. As I’ve written previously I’ve been unemployed for the past 15 months. We have been able to rely on the generosity on occasion of family, friends and strangers, in times of need. I don’t like having to rely on public assistance, and would much rather be receiving a hand up and not a hand out.

Currently the cupboards are bare and I went in search of a local Foodbank for assistance in getting over this current rough patch. Again, according to their web site: Foodbank of the Rockies has a local outlet just a few blocks from our apartment. I was glad to see this and find out that they were open today.

However what I’ve found is what appears to be a typical bureaucratic nightmare. The local listing:

Helping Hands for the Homeless
3875 Marshall St.
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

Doesn’t exist. There is no such address on the street listed. Also when calling the provided phone number there is only an answering machine/voice mail, which is full and not accepting messages. I would hope that this is an isolated incident with only one of their locations.

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